Record Labels Speak Out

The recording industry, including the labels and their artists, lose millions of dollars a year to Internet theft. According to information released by the RIAA, U.S. music shipments in the first half of 2002 were off 10% over the same period in 2001, with sales down nearly 7%. Clear Channel's move to lead the radio industry in publicizing the issue of music piracy struck a chord among the record labels: "The plague of music piracy is spreading in geometric numbers and the industry is faced with the challenge of turning around the mind-set of a generation that thinks its 'cool' to obtain recorded music for free," said Arista Records, Antonio "L.A." Reid, President and CEO. Atlantic Records, Craig Kallman, Co-President, said, "Their PSAs are humanizing an injustice that threatens every musician's livelihood." "Clear Channel's efforts to educate the consumer on the destructive impact of Internet music piracy will be invaluable," said RCA Music Group, Clive Davis, Chairman. "We must protect our creative community even from well meaning fans who just don't know that with every file they download or CD they burn, they are undermining the future of the very music they profess to love."